Senior Thesis

 Last semester, I spent my time researching general anxiety and the potential effects of humor use and theatrical experiences as a coping mechanism. Despite limited academic research in the area, there were some positive correlations between anxiety relief and expressing oneself through acting and/or artistic creation, and comedy. I often turn to both of these as a way of soothing my own struggles with stress and anxious feelings, and wanted to create a thesis that would be reflective of this. The project - Cough Syrup, a one-act play - is focused on the way that my thoughts and anxiety interact with each other and myself, and how this affects my life. Although the concept is ultimately more serious in nature, and there are certainly many serious and/or heavy moments within the piece, I wanted to use comedy throughout to keep it light-hearted and therefore more reflective of who I am as a person. I’ve always found that sharing a laugh with someone is one of the nicest ways to connect with them because that moment is pure joy. Theater has also always served as an escape for me - it is my greatest passion, and as a Performing Arts major, it felt only right to create a project that incorporated acting and theatrics in this way.